Senate
Study
Bill
1143
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
COMMERCE
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
DANDEKAR)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
hearings
conducted
with
regard
to
petitions
1
for
an
electric
transmission
line
franchise.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
2692SC
(2)
84
rn/nh
S.F.
_____
Section
1.
Section
478.4,
Code
2011,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
478.4
Franchise
——
hearing.
3
The
utilities
board
shall
consider
the
petition
and
any
4
objections
filed
to
it
in
the
manner
provided.
It
shall
5
examine
the
proposed
route
or
cause
any
engineer
selected
6
by
it
to
do
so.
If
a
hearing
is
held
on
the
petition
it
may
7
hear
testimony
as
may
aid
it
in
determining
the
propriety
of
8
granting
the
franchise.
The
board
may,
in
its
reasonable
9
discretion
upon
its
own
motion
or
upon
the
motion
of
the
10
petitioner,
and
pursuant
to
procedures
that
the
board
11
determines
to
be
just
and
reasonable,
order
a
separate
12
hearing
and
issue
a
separate
decision
on
any
issue
or
issues
13
to
be
heard
in
relation
to
the
petition.
It
may
grant
the
14
franchise
in
whole
or
in
part
upon
the
terms,
conditions,
and
15
restrictions,
and
with
the
modifications
as
to
location
and
16
route
as
may
seem
to
it
just
and
proper.
Before
granting
17
the
franchise,
the
utilities
board
shall
make
a
finding
that
18
the
proposed
line
or
lines
are
necessary
to
serve
a
public
19
use
and
represents
a
reasonable
relationship
to
an
overall
20
plan
of
transmitting
electricity
in
the
public
interest.
A
21
franchise
shall
not
become
effective
until
the
petitioners
22
shall
pay,
or
file
an
agreement
to
pay,
all
costs
and
expenses
23
of
the
franchise
proceeding,
whether
or
not
objections
are
24
filed,
including
costs
of
inspections
or
examinations
of
the
25
route,
hearing,
salaries,
publishing
of
notice,
and
any
other
26
expenses
reasonably
attributable
to
it.
The
funds
received
27
for
the
costs
and
the
expenses
of
the
franchise
proceeding
28
shall
be
remitted
to
the
treasurer
of
state
for
deposit
in
the
29
department
of
commerce
revolving
fund
created
in
section
546.12
30
as
provided
in
section
476.10
.
31
EXPLANATION
32
This
bill
relates
to
a
hearing
which
may
be
conducted
by
33
the
Iowa
utilities
board
upon
the
filing
of
a
petition
for
34
a
franchise
for
a
new
electric
transmission
line.
The
bill
35
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2692SC
(2)
84
rn/nh
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S.F.
_____
states
that
the
board
may,
in
its
reasonable
discretion
upon
1
its
own
motion
or
upon
the
motion
of
the
petitioner,
and
2
pursuant
to
procedures
that
the
board
determines
to
be
just
3
and
reasonable,
order
a
separate
hearing
and
issue
a
separate
4
decision
on
any
issue
or
issues
to
be
heard
in
relation
to
the
5
petition.
6
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2692SC
(2)
84
rn/nh
2/
2